Supermaxx

Superboy's Shitty Characters

C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A L

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^{_{KENT NELSON ♦ AGENT OF ORDER ♦ THE TOWER OF FATE ♦ NABU}}

♦ C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T ♦

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^{"I'm old, son. I've lived more lifetimes than most. Seen things you wouldn't believe- that nobody in their right mind would, really. Felt so much joy, love and hate that my heart can scarcely take anymore. Known pain beyond your wildest imagination. And power. Oh, what power I had. But that's all over now, isn't it? Because of my mistake. And now...now I've a choice to make. Not a hard one, though. What is one life compared to the fate of everything?"}

Kent Nelson has served as Doctor Fate since 1920, yet he's seen more than centuries of duty. Travelling across time and space alike he has done battle in the ancient past and in worlds far from our own. He has dueled Elder Things and Old Gods, walked among countless pantheons and struggled against terrors that could wipe humanity from all memory. As an Agent of Order he has served as a sentinel against the forces of Chaos- holding fast at the gates that guard all living things and never swaying from his post. In those hundred upon hundreds of years of service, time and power have slowly chipped away at Kent's humanity. Each foray into the darkest corners of the universe forces him to leave behind another piece of himself so that he might better serve Order. In his bid to protect us, Dr. Fate becomes less and less human everyday.

But it was arrogance, not humanity, that was his downfall. For as he built up his power, Dr. Fate believed he had discovered a means by which he might defeat Chaos once and for all. He attempted to confront a Lord of Chaos, the one called Mordru, and hoped to kill an aspect of Chaos. It was a foolhardy notion from the start, for the Lords of Order and Chaos are but vessels for abstract powers that have existed beyond existence, and shall continue to existence even after the death of our tiny, insignificant universe. The battle was short-lived, and Nelson's arrogance made his master, the Lord of Order known as Nabu, vulnerable. Mordru struck a mortal blow against Nabu, wounding his opposite through his connection to Dr. Fate and tipping the scales in the cosmic struggle between Order and Chaos in a way previously thought impossible.

Nabu's injury has left all agents of Order, Kent most of all, weaker and more vulnerable than ever. Even when wielding the Helmet of Fate, he is nothing compared to what he once was, and for the first time in centuries has found himself no match for old enemies like Klarion and Wotan. He finds himself in a desperate race to heal Nabu's wound and repair the balance of the cosmic scales before Chaos can consume Order in it's entirety. The fate of the universe has oft been at stake when Dr. Fate intervenes, but things have never felt so dire for Order's greatest champion.

♦ C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S ♦

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There's always been something fascinating to be about the higher concepts in comic books. One concept in particular that's always caught my imagination is the idea of godhood, and how access to unimaginable power might shape a person and their character. How having knowledge of the fundamental makeup of existence might change someone's entire perspective on existence, and whether or not such knowledge is even desirable. Dr. Fate presents a unique opportunity to explore godhood, and power, as he's both simultaneously a man and something...more.

In this re-imagining of Fate, Nelson has lost himself in the mantle of Dr. Fate. His connection to his own mortality has been severed by a hundred years of impossible power and a personal relationship with literal deities. Knowing the answers to our greatest mysteries has soured Kent to mankind. He's seen the worst of us over and over and over again, and his constant duty to protect them has made him very tired. The near-death of a Lord of Order and the loss of much of his power will tear him down from on-high and force him to confront how power has changed him, and how being Fate for so long has caused Kent to lose his way. This is the harshest wake-up call he's ever going to get, and he's going to get the chance to decide just how important his humanity is to him.

♦ C H A R A C T E R N O T E S ♦

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_{▼ S E A S O N O N E S U P P O R T I N G C A S T
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

♦ Jim Corrigan
^{Detective and (occasional) Host of the Spectre}

♦ Mitchell Shelly
^{AKA Resurrection Man, Superhero}

♦ Amy Winston
^{Exiled Princess of House Amethyst, teenager}

♦ Linda Strauss
^{Nurse, single mother}

♦ Eric Strauss
^{Student, 10 year old}

♦ Nabu
^{Lord of Order}

_{▼ S E A S O N O N E A N T A G O N I S T S
^{▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔}}

♦ Klarion
^{Witchboy, mischievous and occasionally cruel}

♦ Fin Fang Foom
^Dragon

♦ Etrigan
^{Rhyming demon whose dreams drive men mad}

♦ Wotan
^{Immortal sorcerer and nemesis of Dr. Fate}

♦ Mordru
^{Lord of Chaos}

♦ S A M P L E P O S T ♦

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_{THE BOOK OF FATE}

Issue #1: HUMBLED

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_{Salem Willows Park ♦ Salem, Massachusetts}

The Price of Failure

Kent Nelson had sat on that bench many a time before. Sometimes with Inza. Sometimes alone. It'd been there for quite awhile in one form or another. His favorite was the wooden one, made from the same Willows planted all 'round him, that they'd put up way back in the 18th century. This one wasn't great, he had to admit. It's deep black, wrought iron frame was sturdy, sure, but it was so uncomfortable. He hated what it did to his back.

Hell of a view, though. Hell of a view. Especially now when the sun was starting to dip underneath the water of the Ram Horn, almost like the channel was swallowing Earth's star whole. It's light cascaded across the open water like God throwing stones across a pond. They shot out in a spray of a thousand, individual tendrils of fire that reached from the horizon all the way to the stony shore. Every time Kent saw it it took his breath away. He thought he'd caught lightning in a bottle, and the next time he sat on this bench, the majesty of it would disappear. It kept, somehow. And that made it all the more special.

It'd been far too long since the last time, he realized. He couldn't even remember when the last time was. Kent felt a tinge of guilt in his chest. The only reason he'd come back was because he had nowhere else to go now that the Tower of Fate was locked to him. And he had the audacity to stain this poor bench crimson. Terrible as it might be, it didn't deserve to be bled on.

"I've lost my way, haven't I?" He muttered, followed shortly by a sigh. A painful one. That last blow he'd taken to his side must've done more damage than he initially thought. Reaching down he pulled at the dark blue material of his costume, lifting it up to reveal the mangled flesh that still clung to his side. Blood, pus and dark magic dripped down it- all of it flowing from the big, ugly mark in the center.

Arrogant. Stupid. Reckless. He should've known challenging Mordru in his own domain was folly from the start, and yet the mighty Doctor Fate did it anyway. Threw himself into the fires of Hell and expected not to get burned. Even an amateur would've had the forethought to know it was a bad idea.

"But not you, right, Kent?" Nelson laughed, only for it to transition into thundering coughing fit. "Kent Nelson, biggest moron in the Nine Realms, at your service."

The helmet was sitting in his lap, those empty eye sockets glaring up at him. 'I told you so!' They seemed to scream. 'I told you how it'd end, but you went anyway, and now look what you've done to me!' The Helmet of Fate was older than anything Nelson had ever encountered. Though he'd found it in an Egyptian Tomb, even then he'd known it was far more ancient than the Pharaoh it'd been buried with. It'd spent the vast majority of its existence spotless. Shining, like polished gold. Now Kent looked down at it and saw that polish fading. He could see small cracks along the faceplate and the crown. He used think the thing was indestructible.

Just like him.

But Nobu was dying. The Lord of Order had gone silent. If it wasn't for his uneven breathing in the back of Nelson's soul, Dr. Fate would've thought him dead. But his time was running out, and when he went so too would Kent. And there was no telling when existence would join them. Could be tomorrow. Could be in a hundred thousand years. But without Nabu...Without all of the Lords of Order...

Time was going to run out eventually.

"Stupid, Nelson. Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" Dr. Fate roared as he leapt up from the bench where he sat. With a great heave of his arm he chucked the Helmet of Fate, watching it sail through the air until it landed like a stone in the Ram Horn channel. Despite it's weight it didn't sink. Instead, the helm floated atop the water, refusing to flow with the current. Just sat there, staring up at the rapidly darkening sky.

"I killed us." He breathed, falling back down on that uncomfortable seat. "I killed us all."

"Death's not so bad once ya get used to it." A gruff voice, corrupted by one too many cigars over the years, called from behind Kent.

"I need your help, old friend, n' it sounds like you need mine."

♦ P O S T C A T L O G ♦

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THE BOOK OF FATE

♦ Issue #1 - Humbled

Absolute Comics - Season Two: The Monster Within

L O N G I S L A N D

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^{Night | Queens Borough, New York City}
Scott had never seen anyone move like that before. The masked man bent through the air like a leaf in the wind, sliding past two of the three projectiles with a disturbing ease, almost too quick for Summers to really register. Not quick enough, fortunately, to get out of the way of the third. The nail box nailed him and brought their prey to the ground. Scott slapped the steering wheel and let out a victorious whoop. "Nice shot, Jean!"

His celebration was cut short when he felt a sudden and violent lurch from underneath him.

The mutant they were after used something to gunk up the front axle of the car, halting all forward momentum of the wheels. The back two didn't get the memo that they were coming to a stop, and kept on pushing, sending the convertible careening out of control. Scott wrestled with the steering wheel to keep them upright while he jammed the brake as far down as he possibly could. The sound of his and Jean's screams filled the night sky as they started to spin.

"Shitshitshitshitshit-" Jean Grey spewed a string of panicked curses. She could feel the wheels underneath the car leaving the pavement, and they had all of a few seconds before they'd likely be squished into the concrete like a pair of jelly-filled donuts. It took half of that time to realize she actually had superpowers and could do something about it.

'Oh. Right!'

an invisible hand unclicked both Jean and Scott's seat belts, disconnecting themselves from the twisting metal shell that was moments from doing a cartwheel into some poor soul's front lawn. That same hand wrapped itself around both of the X-Men, dragging them together into a bundle and surrounding them with an unseen, protective bubble. It absorbed the impact of them slamming against the asphalt of the road, though when it popped it didn't top either of them from going into a painful roll that dragged them several feet across the street, ending in them both being a considerable distance apart...with one, particular masked man lying on the ground between them.

"You...asshole!" Jean screamed between rugged, pained breaths. She rolled over onto her belly, doing her best to get her bearings after doing one too many loopty-loops. I swear to God your face is gonna be a hamburger after I'm done with you!"

"...Not the car..." Scott managed to squeak, still squarely on his back and with a noticeable lack of glasses over his eyes. He was smart enough to keep them glued shut for the time being, but he was left rather handicapped without them.

Grey brought a fist down against the ground, forcing herself up. Unsteady feet didn't respond well to the command, yet she stood nonetheless, whether her legs felt like doing their job at the moment or not. She brushed her fiery locks out of her eyes and threw a hand back behind her, holding it toward the white, picket fence their foe had recently tumbled over. One of the pickets broke away from the horizontal rails. And then another. And another. They began to leap from the ground like they had a mind of their own, floating through the air in a congo line until they found their way around Jean's head where they began to form something of an orbit. "Y'got one chance to give it up, pal. Or you're in for a world of hurt."

Pariah Online III

can you make me one

Pariah Online III

_{:: the laughing worg tavern // thorinn ::}

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The plate of food set before Graves remained untouched, save for the occasional poke with a fork to give the impression that he was trying to eat. But he wasn't hungry. Not in the slightest.

Only a handful of days had passed since he and the rest of his party managed to escape that dungeon with their lives. He'd taken a rather nasty blow to the head that he could still feel the effects of ringing in the back of his skull like a phantom's bell. 'Course it wasn't the only thing from that fight that was bouncing around in his head, refusing to go away. Death was a strange thing. Graves had seen it a hundred times in Pariah, yet...something about that last one felt so much more real. The desperation on the other man's face as he tried to cling to life,to his last, precious few seconds in the world. It was nauseating just remembering it.

He wasn't the only one thinking about it. Rael said it aloud first. Brought all their fears and worries out into the open air to stew in that stinking tavern. "I'on't know, Red." He said with a heavy sigh. "Maybe everything."

Graves had shed his armor and other combat gear, leaving it behind in a pile in the room he'd rented out for the last couple of days. Most of it was in dire need of repair after Arnaakus nearly tore him in two. Part of him didn't want to even bother. With all the new bullshit they were learning about the game, he was becoming less and less comfortable running around in that suit. He felt naked in something so lightly armored. It might be worth it to just scrap his current gear and invest in a suit of half-plate for the time being. While they hid away in Thorinn he was comfortable enough in his normal attire, at least for now. A simple, hooded tunic of gray linen and a black jerkin pulled over it did more than enough to keep him warm.

Keeping warm. In a video game. 'God, nothin' makes much sense anymore, does it?'

He was torn from his thoughts at the sound of chair legs being dragged against wood. He looked up just in time to see Rael stand from the table and make her way to the door. "Where're you go-" He started to ask, only for her to interrupt with a non-answer and leave without another word. "...Or don't tell me. Fuckin' bitch." He snarled under his breath, letting his head fall into his hands so he could massage his temples. The headache was getting worse. They'd lost a man in the dungeons and a few more had abandoned the party the moment they'd gotten back to Thorinn- off to panic on their lonesome, Graves assumed. God knows why he hadn't walked away, too. Babysitting had never been his strong suit, and keeping some, unnamed members of that party together was like herding cats.

Sighing, he did his best to reset himself and looked out over the rest of the party. "Alright guys," he started, sitting up. "It's been a couple'a days and we haven't gotten any word on when we can get outta here. We can't sit around drinkin' our troubles away forever, so...what'do we do next?"

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Superboy's Shitty Characters

_{:: the laughing worg tavern // thorinn ::}

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The plate of food set before Graves remained untouched, save for the occasional poke with a fork to give the impression that he was trying to eat. But he wasn't hungry. Not in the slightest.

Only a handful of days had passed since he and the rest of his party managed to escape that dungeon with their lives. He'd taken a rather nasty blow to the head that he could still feel the effects of ringing in the back of his skull like a phantom's bell. 'Course it wasn't the only thing from that fight that was bouncing around in his head, refusing to go away. Death was a strange thing. Graves had seen it a hundred times in Pariah, yet...something about that last one felt so much more real. The desperation on the other man's face as he tried to cling to life,to his last, precious few seconds in the world. It was nauseating just remembering it.

He wasn't the only one thinking about it. Rael said it aloud first. Brought all their fears and worries out into the open air to stew in that stinking tavern. "I'on't know, Red." He said with a heavy sigh. "Maybe everything."

Graves had shed his armor and other combat gear, leaving it behind in a pile in the room he'd rented out for the last couple of days. Most of it was in dire need of repair after Arnaakus nearly tore him in two. Part of him didn't want to even bother. With all the new bullshit they were learning about the game, he was becoming less and less comfortable running around in that suit. He felt naked in something so lightly armored. It might be worth it to just scrap his current gear and invest in a suit of half-plate for the time being. While they hid away in Thorinn he was comfortable enough in his normal attire, at least for now. A simple, hooded tunic of gray linen and a black jerkin pulled over it did more than enough to keep him warm.

Keeping warm. In a video game. 'God, nothin' makes much sense anymore, does it?'

He was torn from his thoughts at the sound of chair legs being dragged against wood. He looked up just in time to see Rael stand from the table and make her way to the door. "Where're yo-" But she was already gone before he could so much as finish asking the question. "Fuckin' bitch." He snarled under his breath, letting his head fall into his hands so he could massage his temples. The headache was getting worse. They'd lost a man in the dungeons and a few more had abandoned the party the moment they'd gotten back to Thorinn- off to panic on their lonesome, Graves assumed. God knows why he hadn't walked away, too. Babysitting had never been his strong suit, and keeping some, unnamed members of that party together was like herding cats.

Sighing, he did his best to reset himself and looked out over the rest of the party. "Alright guys," he started, sitting up. "It's been a couple'a days and we haven't gotten any word on when we can get outta here. We can't sit around drinkin' our troubles away forever, so...what'do we do next?"

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Blood Reigns Over Westeros: A Song of Ice & Fire Story (Accepting Player Proposals)

the absolute madlad actually did it

Superboy's Shitty Characters

House Information

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My Hider

Synopsis

Founded in the Age of Heroes by Brandon the Builder, the Starks have ruled in the North for thousands of years- first as the Kings of Winter and now the Wardens of the North. Having narrowly survived the War of the Five Kings and the Long Night, the Starks have spent the last eighty years in relative isolation from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, attempting to deal with their own internal squabbles. They've invested a great deal of resources into shoring up the Neck and rebuilding their fleet at White Harbor, and have begun securing alliances with other Great Houses to ensure the North never falls again.

Head of House

Lord Theon Stark

Seat

Winterfell

Demesne

House Manderly of White Harbor
House Glover of Deepwood Motte
House Umber of Last Hearth
House Dustin of Barrow Hall
House Karstark of Karhold
House Reed of Greywater Watch
House Ryswell of The Rills
House Flint of Flint’s Fingers
House Mormont of Bear Isle
House Thenn of Dreadfort
House Redbeard of Sea Dragon Point

Recent History

Rickon Stark 306 - 340 AC

After the ascension of Queen Daenerys Targaryen to the Iron Throne and the death of Jon Snow, House Stark was left to lick its wounds and pick up the pieces of what remained. Many of its surviving members left Winterfell to pursue their own ends: Sansa to the Vale to live out her life as an Arryn, Brann traveled Beyond the Wall to continue his mysterious duties as the Three-Eyed Raven, and Arya vanished in the night, never to be heard from again. Only Rickon Stark, barely more than a boy, was left to rebuild.

And there was much rebuilding to be done. The Long Night had ravaged the North, all the way from the Last Hearth down to the tip of the Neck. Even Winterfell had fallen to the armies of the dead, forcing the Northmen to ride south of the Trident until the Night King was eventually defeated. Returning home brought no shortage of monumental challenges, and without the support of the other kingdoms and the Iron Throne, the North might never have returned to its former glory.

Men helped for as long as the memory of winter remained. Compassion and unity rebuilt many of the fortresses, towns, and villages that the dead had torn apart, but it couldn't last forever. As time ran on and the years passed away, the apocalypse became a distant recollection, and aid came in smaller and smaller supply until it eventually ran wholly dry. Rickon, now an old man with graying hair and a litter of children to call his own, begged Daenerys for further gold dragons to complete reconstruction- his requests were denied, and he was sent home with a hardened heart.

Jon Stark 340 - 378 AC

Rickon took ill not long after returning home from King's Landing, and though he fought the disease for weeks, eventually succumbed. Jon, thirty-one at the time of his father's passing, took poorly to the news that the Iron Throne had abandoned them. He set to work finding the necessary resources elsewhere: new, harsh taxation on his vassals brought in the dragons he needed, but also a sleuth of consequences. The newly christened houses of Thenn and Redbeard, unused to such burdens, pushed back hard against their new lord's legislation. Jon attempted to persuade them with diplomacy but found such methods inadequate with the former Wildings. Rather than concede to them, however, he chose force. He personally rode to Sea Dragon Point and the Dreadfort with a small company of veteran warriors to see the collection done at the tip of lance and sword. Both Houses complied, but they wouldn't soon forget how their Lord responded to disagreement.

Reconstruction continued briskly with the newly acquired coinage. Every fief and holdfast was returned to its former glory over the decade's long project, and a number of new villages were built up with some of the excess to make room for the new Freefolk immigrants. The worst of the afflicted noble Houses, the Umbers, were ecstatic to see their land refurbished and their halls ring with the joy of feasting once again, and their relationship with House Stark quickly flourished. A betrothal between the young heir Dorren Umber and Jon's sister, Jocelyn, was set up, and they were wed in the spring of 354 AC.

That wedding was not without incident, unfortunately. Lords from all across the North had ridden to Last Hearth to attend, including the hot-blooded Lord of the Redbeards, Bael, son of Gerrick Kingsblood. Bael got considerably drunk during the feast that followed the wedding and went on a long and angry tirade about the Battle at Long Lake that had claimed the life of his ancestor, Raymund Redbeard, and many other members of his family. His words were met by the ill-placed goading of one similarly young and drunk Lord Osric Umber. The two came to blows in short order, and soon enough their retinues joined into the brawl.

No one knows who drew the first blade, but blood was drawn between the Redbeards and the Umbers. The melee was quick, chaotic and brutal; Osric was heavily wounded and succumbed to his injuries later that night, while Bael was able to escape back to Sea Dragon Point with what few of his surviving men remained. Jon took his brother, Willam, and a collection of bannermen and warriors to drag Osric from his keep to see justice for the murder of Lord Umber. They were ambushed before they'd even arrived at the holdfast, and a series of violent skirmishes ensued as Jon and his men pressed toward the keep. There they found Bael and his men held up with the gates barred and ready for a fight.

Rather than risk more bloodshed in either storming the keep or besieging it, however, Jon attempts to negotiate with Bael. It took several days of back-and-forth, but the Lord Paramount and his vassal eventually reached an accord. In exchange for relaxed taxation and forgiveness for his murderous and treasonous acts, Bael must swear that neither he nor any of his descendants would ever again take up arms against House Stark, on pain of death. The decision was...controversial, to say the least, and Jon continued to receive criticisms for the way he handled the situation until the day he died.

Theon Stark 378 - 379 AC

And die he did in 378 when the front axle of his carriage came loose and he was sent careening off the side of the road. Theon was among the riders that pulled Jon's body from the wreckage. He returned his father's body to the crypt under Winterfell, and was crowned Warden of the North shortly after. His untimely death has left the North in equal parts mourning and chaos as unruly vassals look to challenge Theon's authority now that his father has passed. Whispers of Theon's ill temperament travel across the North, and more than a few wonder if he'll be able to hold the region together.

Realm Relations

House Tyrell
The Reach is a distant land full of strange, southron men, and House Tyrell is no different. The Starks hold no ill-will toward the flower lords, but find little reason to care for their troubles. Jon Stark put what effort he could in delivering relief supplies to the starving Reachmen, for what it's worth, though such a policy has yet to be put in place by his successor.

House Martell
TBD

House Tully
TBD

House Baratheon
There is only one Great House in all of Westeros that boasts the trust of the Starks, and that's House Baratheon. Ever since Lyonel warded under Jon the two families have grown inseparably close, with the Baratheons often going to painful lengths to visit Winterfell as often as they can. Theon looks to Lyonel as something of an older brother and a pseudo mentor, and someone he can trust to have his back no matter the circumstance. Though the two don't always see eye to eye, Theon's loyalty to his family remains steadfast and unshakable, and he considers Lyonel as much a part of that family as anyone with Stark for a surname.

House Targaryen
Though Jon and Daenerys's love was strong, for a time, the loss of the last King in the North during the Long Night brought a swift end to their alliance. Rickon served the queen as best he could yet found himself scorned all the same, and no Stark since him has bothered to ask anything of the Iron Throne. Isolationist tendencies continue to go on strong under Theon with no end in sight.

House Lannister
The hate between the Lannisters and the Starks runs deep. Even with the deaths of Twyin and the whole of his line, the Red Wedding is not easily forgotten, and never forgiven. Their relationship is tense in the best of circumstances, and near-violent at it's worst. Attempts were made to stem previous hatreds under Jon Stark, but his son, Theon, doesn't plan to continue down that path.

House Arryn
TBD

House Greyjoy

The Ironborn and the Northmen are traditional enemies and rivals with a long and storied history of conflict between them. Though the sacking of Winterfell has effectively been scrubbed from the history books thanks to Rickon, there's little left good will between the two Houses, even if the bloodshed came to an end when Daenerys rose to power.

House Velaryon

TBD

Storyline Premise

Duty, honor, loyalty and family have all been central themes of House Stark's story. I intend to continue each of these threads in my own way, testing them all against one another. The conflict created by these themes contradicting one another will be critical to Theon's progression and development as a character, and in the end he'll be forced to abandon some of them so that he may pursue others to their logical end.

Character Information

---

My Hider

Identity

Lord Theon Stark

Age

32

Role

Warden of the North
Lord of Winterfell

Characterization

Theon Stark has only recently taken his father's place as Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell. As such, he remains untested, though he's eager to prove himself. He had plenty of time to study the ways of lordship under Jon- he's well-read, particularly in matters of statecraft, warfare and history. He's taken an interest in his family history in particular, ranging all the way back to Brandon the Builder, the Kings of Winter and everything before and after them. Even at a young age he seemed taken by the legends of the mighty heroes and conquerors that built his House. He looks at the sorry state of his family now and yearns to see it brought back into glory- to see that it's name is as feared and respected as it was in the days of old.

His ambition and zealousness are not tempered by patience as they should be. Theon never quite lost the fire of youth, and it's carried with him in the form of both great passion as well as ill-temperament. Quick to anger and reveling in loathing, he's known to bear grudges for great lengths of time, and his forgiveness is a rare and precious thing. The only thing that's ever proven to keep him in line is the wisdom and advice of those few people he truly respects.

The things he chooses to respect in others are informed, primarily, by what his family's best known for: honor, duty, and loyalty.

True men of loyalty, who stick by their brothers no matter the personal cost, are seen as a precious commodity by Theon. He feels quite strongly that many of his bannermen are only loyal when it suits them, and that they would turn on the Starks the moment things became difficult: as proven by the betrayal of the Boltons and those that bent the knee to them so long ago.

Duty is loyalty of a different form. It is loyalty to an ideal rather than any individual, and for that reason Theon holds it quite highly too. Holding to one's cause even in the face of death is the truest test of a man's character, and more often than not men fail that test. Those that don't, however, must be men of great character and quality.

Honor is the one value of Theon's family he is unsure of. To hold to a personal code of conduct is, in a way, a form of loyalty or duty; but it entails with it a number of traits that Theon believes led to the downfall of many of his ancestors, namely Robb and Eddard. Aspects of honor- such as compassion, honesty, and chivalry- created a weakness in his family that was exploited by honorless men and traitors alike. Honor nearly wiped his family off of the map. And yet, at the same time, it could be argued that honor was the reason the Starks rose to prominence in the first place. It's a confusing and often contradictory thing that Theon continues to wrestle with, and likely will do for a long time to come.

Attributes & Talents

Theon Stark is well-trained in every aspect of lordship. From riding to swordfighting and statecraft to diplomacy, he spent the first two and a half decades of his life preparing to eventually become the Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell. He's became quite proficient in most of those areas, taking well especially to those skills that gave him an outlet for his anger- swordsmanship in particular. Though not a master at much at all, he's a well-rounded man, capable of acting with competency in almost any situation, bar those where delicate diplomacy is required.

Immediate Family

Theon is the only child of Jon Stark and Leona Manderly. He has three children through his wife, Lyanna Baratheon:

Harlon Stark, the eldest at 10 and heir of Winterfell
Edrick Stark, middle child at 8
Sara Stark, lone daughter and youngest at 6

Other, less immediate family includes Willam Stark, Theon's uncle, and Cregan Umber, his cousin, as well as Cregan's children Robyn and Eyron.

Personal Relations

Lyonel Baratheon

TBD

Axel Baratheon

TBD

Brus Baratheon

TBD

Garth Tyrell

TBD

Randyl Tyrell

TBD

Blood Reigns Over Westeros: A Song of Ice & Fire Story (Accepting Player Proposals)

<Snipped quote by Saint Maxx>
Fix your formatting and I'll post in Pariah Online tonight.

@Inkarnate

fuckin' bet, mate

Blood Reigns Over Westeros: A Song of Ice & Fire Story (Accepting Player Proposals)

♫ The North Remembers ♫

House Information

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My Hider

Synopsis

Founded in the Age of Heroes by Brandon the Builder, the Starks have ruled in the North for thousands of years- first as the Kings of Winter and now the Wardens of the North. Having narrowly survived the War of the Five Kings and the Long Night, the Starks have spent the last eighty years in relative isolation from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, attempting to deal with their own internal squabbles. They've invested a great deal of resources into shoring up the Neck and rebuilding their fleet at White Harbor, and have begun securing alliances with other Great Houses to ensure the North never falls again.

Head of House

Lord Theon Stark

Seat

Winterfell

Demesne

House Redstark of Dreadfort
House Manderly of White Harbor
House Glover of Deepwood Motte
House Umber of Last Hearth
House Reed of Greywater Watch
House Hornwood of Hornwood
House Ryswell of The Rills
House Flint of Flint’s Fingers
House Mormont of Bear Isle
House Thenn of Karhold
House Dustin of Barrowton
House Redbeard of Sea Dragon Point

Family Tree

http://familyecho.com/?p=NBDJ1&c=pyo4alc0ja&f=117377167389635944

Recent History

Rickon Stark 306 - 340 AC

After the ascension of Queen Daenerys Targaryen to the Iron Throne and the death of Jon Snow during the Long Night, House Stark was left to lick its wounds and pick up the pieces of what remained. Not all of them felt up to the task, however: Brann had to return Beyond the Wall to continue his duty as the Three-Eyed Raven, and Arya sailed back to Braavos for reasons unknown. Rickon and Sansa were all that was left to guide the North into a better future.

There was much rebuilding to be done first. The Long Night had ravage d the North, all the way from the Last Hearth down to the tip of the Neck. Even Winterfell had fallen to the armies of the dead, forcing the Northmen to ride south of the Trident until the Night King was eventually defeated. Returning home brought no shortage of monumental challenges, and without the support of the other kingdoms and the Iron Throne, the North might never have returned to its former glory.

Rickon, being the last male heir, was declared Lord Paramount, with Sansa acting as his regent until he came of age. When he was old enough to inherent Winterfell, Rickon gave his sister the Dreadfort as a reward for all she'd done for the North and their family- and because every other House that might've been worthy of the honor was dead. Sansa formed House Redstark, naming it in the same fashion as the Greystarks of old. Together, the two branches of House Stark worked in tandem to see their home rise from the ashes to greatness once more. It was not a task they could accomplish alone, and they were lucky they didn't have to.

Men helped for as long as the memory of winter remained. Compassion and unity rebuilt many of the fortresses, towns, and villages that the dead had torn apart, but it couldn't last forever. As time ran on and the years passed away, the apocalypse became a distant recollection, and aid came in smaller and smaller supply until it eventually ran wholly dry. Rickon, now an old man with graying hair and a litter of children to call his own, begged Daenerys for further gold dragons to complete reconstruction- to see the dream come to life- but he was denied. The Queen could only spare so much, as times were tumultuous and the whole realm was suffering. Bitterness and a few measly coppers were all Rickon brought back to Winterfell, and House Stark would not soon forget when the rest of Westeros turned their backs on them.

Jon Stark 340 - 378 AC

Rickon took ill not long after returning home from King's Landing, and though he fought the disease for weeks, eventually succumbed. Jon, thirty-one at the time of his father's passing, took poorly to the news that the Iron Throne had abandoned them. He set to work finding the necessary resources elsewhere: new, harsh taxation on his vassals brought in the dragons he needed, but also a sleuth of consequences. The newly christened houses of Thenn and Redbeard, unused to such burdens, pushed back hard against their new lord's legislation. Jon attempted to persuade them with diplomacy but found such methods inadequate with the former Wildings. Rather than concede to them, however, he chose force. He personally rode to Sea Dragon Point and Karhold with a small company of veteran warriors to see the collection done at the tip of lance and sword. Both Houses complied, but they wouldn't soon forget how their Lord responded to disagreement.

Reconstruction continued briskly with the newly acquired coinage. Every fief and holdfast was returned to its former glory over the decade's long project, and a number of new villages were built up with some of the excess to make room for the new Freefolk immigrants. The worst of the afflicted noble Houses, the Umbers, were ecstatic to see their land refurbished and their halls ring with the joy of feasting once again, and their relationship with House Stark quickly flourished. A betrothal between the young heir Dorren Umber and Jon's sister, Jocelyn, was set up, and they were wed in the spring of 354 AC.

That wedding was not without incident, unfortunately. Lords from all across the North had ridden to Last Hearth to attend, including the hot-blooded Lord of the Redbeards, Bael, son of Gerrick Kingsblood. Bael got considerably drunk during the feast that followed the wedding and went on a long and angry tirade about the Battle at Long Lake that had claimed the life of his ancestor, Raymund Redbeard, and many other members of his family. His words were met by the ill-placed goading of one similarly young and drunk Lord Osric Umber. The two came to blows in short order, and soon enough their retinues joined into the brawl.

No one knows who drew the first blade, but blood was drawn between the Redbeards and the Umbers. The melee was quick, chaotic and brutal; Osric was heavily wounded and succumbed to his injuries later that night, while Bael was able to escape back to Sea Dragon Point with the surviving members of his entourage. Jon took his brother, Willam, and a collection of bannermen and warriors to drag Osric from his keep to see justice for the murder of Lord Umber. They were ambushed in the woods before they'd even arrived at the holdfast, and a series of violent skirmishes ensued as Jon and his men pressed toward the keep. There they found Bael and his men held up with the gates barred and ready for a fight.

Rather than risk more bloodshed in either storming the keep or besieging it, however, Jon attempts to negotiate with Bael. It took several days of back-and-forth, but the Lord Paramount and his vassal eventually reached an accord. In exchange for relaxed taxation and forgiveness for his murderous and treasonous acts, Bael must swear that neither he nor any of his descendants would ever again take up arms against House Stark, on pain of death. Bael's youngest son, Joramun, was taken hostage by Jon and raised at Winterfell as leverage to ensure the Redbeards would never defy him again. The decision was...controversial, to say the least, and Jon continued to receive harsh criticism for the way he handled the rebellion until the day he died.

Theon Stark 378 - 379 AC

And die he did in 378 when the front axle of his carriage came loose and he was sent careening off the side of the road. Theon was among the riders that pulled Jon's body from the wreckage. He returned his father's body to the crypt under Winterfell, and was crowned Warden of the North shortly after. His untimely death has left the North in equal parts mourning and chaos as unruly vassals look to challenge Theon's authority now that his father has passed. Whispers of Theon's ill temperament travel across the North, and more than a few wonder if he'll be able to hold the region together.

Realm Relations

House Tyrell
Relations between the Starks and the Tyrells have been tense, to say the least, since the Tyrells formed a marriage pact with the Lannisters. The existing ill-will made it quite surprising when Lord Jon Stark chose to marry the third son of Alys Tyrell, the woman oft accused of being nothing more than a puppet of her husband's family. Jeyne Stark's presence in Highgarden has done little to alleviate the tension between their two houses.

House Martell
House Stark has no strong feelings about the Martells one way or the other.

House Tully
House Tully was among the principal Houses that provided aid to the North after the War of the Dawn, sending food, supplies and gold to assist their beleaguered Northern cousins. Such aid and the memory of their fight together during the War of the Five Kings is not easily forgotten, and House Stark has continued to consider House Tully a valuable friend and compatriot. There was even talk, potentially, of joining their Houses during Jon's reign- unfortunately that never came to fruition and Jon ended up marrying his daughter, Jeyne, to Amory Tyrell.

House Baratheon
There is only one Great House in all of Westeros that boasts the trust of the Starks, and that's House Baratheon. Ever since Lyonel warded under Jon the two families have grown inseparably close, with the Baratheons often going to painful lengths to visit Winterfell as often as they can. Theon looks to Lyonel as something of an older brother and a pseudo mentor, and someone he can trust to have his back no matter the circumstance. Though the two don't always see eye to eye, Theon's loyalty to his family remains steadfast and unshakable, and he considers Lyonel as much a part of that family as anyone with Stark for a surname.

House Targaryen
Though Jon and Daenerys's love was strong, for a time, the loss of the last King in the North during the Long Night brought a swift end to their alliance. Rickon served the queen as best he could yet found himself scorned all the same, and no Stark since him has bothered to ask anything of the Iron Throne. Isolationist tendencies continue to go on strong under Theon with no end in sight.

House Lannister
The hate between the Lannisters and the Starks runs deep. Even with the deaths of Twyin and the whole of his line, the Red Wedding is not easily forgotten, and never forgiven. Their relationship is tense in the best of circumstances, and near-violent at it's worst. Attempts were made to mend previous hatreds under Jon Stark, even going so far as to offer them Oathkeeper back as a 'show of good faith.' That move has been widely criticized across the North, and his son and successor, Theon, has made it abundantly clear that he plans to rectify his father's mistakes.

House Arryn
An age old ally of the Starks, House Arryn has stuck by their cousins in Winterfell for generations. They fought together during the War for the Dawn and the Arryns continually supported the Northern Reconstruction efforts in every manner they could. They've only grown closer since as the heir to Winterfell, Harlon Stark, has recently traveled to the Vale to squire under Walys Arryn.

House Greyjoy
The Ironborn and the Northmen are traditional enemies and rivals with a long and storied history of conflict between them. Rickon did what he could to correct history by effectively scrubbing Theon's dishonorable acts and placing much of the blame on the Boltons- a strategic move to repair relations with the Ironborn and Asha. The two Houses aren't particularly close, aside from some periodic trade between them.

House Velaryon
House Stark has no strong feelings about House Velaryon one way or the other.

House Hightower

Storyline Premise

Duty, honor, loyalty and family have all been central themes of House Stark's story. I intend to continue each of these threads in my own way, testing them all against one another. The conflict created by these themes contradicting one another will be critical to Theon's progression and development as a character, and in the end he'll be forced to abandon some of them so that he may pursue others to their logical end.

Character Information

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Theon Stark

Identity

Lord Theon Stark

Age

32

Role

Warden of the North
Lord of Winterfell

Characterization

Theon Stark has only recently taken his father's place as Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell. As such, he remains untested, though he's eager to prove himself. He had plenty of time to study the ways of lordship under Jon- he's well-read, particularly in matters of statecraft, warfare and history. He's taken an interest in his family history in particular, ranging all the way back to Brandon the Builder, the Kings of Winter and everything before and after them. Even at a young age he seemed taken by the legends of the mighty heroes and conquerors that built his House. He looks at the sorry state of his family now and yearns to see it brought back into glory- to see that it's name is as feared and respected as it was in the days of old.

His ambition and zealousness are not tempered by patience as they should be. Theon never quite lost the fire of youth, and it's carried with him in the form of both great passion as well as ill-temperament. Quick to anger and reveling in loathing, he's known to bear grudges for great lengths of time, and his forgiveness is a rare and precious thing. The only thing that's ever proven to keep him in line is the wisdom and advice of those few people he truly respects.

The things he chooses to respect in others are informed, primarily, by what his family's best known for: honor, duty, and loyalty.

True men of loyalty, who stick by their brothers no matter the personal cost, are seen as a precious commodity by Theon. He feels quite strongly that many of his bannermen are only loyal when it suits them, and that they would turn on the Starks the moment things became difficult: as proven by the betrayal of the Boltons and those that bent the knee to them so long ago.

Duty is loyalty of a different form. It is loyalty to an ideal rather than any individual, and for that reason Theon holds it quite highly too. Holding to one's cause even in the face of death is the truest test of a man's character, and more often than not men fail that test. Those that don't, however, must be men of great character and quality.

Honor is the one value of Theon's family he is unsure of. To hold to a personal code of conduct is, in a way, a form of loyalty or duty; but it entails with it a number of traits that Theon believes led to the downfall of many of his ancestors, namely Robb and Eddard. Aspects of honor- such as compassion, honesty, and chivalry- created a weakness in his family that was exploited by honorless men and traitors alike. Honor nearly wiped his family off of the map. And yet, at the same time, it could be argued that honor was the reason the Starks rose to prominence in the first place. It's a confusing and often contradictory thing that Theon continues to wrestle with, and likely will do for a long time to come.

Attributes & Talents

Theon Stark is well-trained in every aspect of lordship. From riding to swordfighting and statecraft to diplomacy, he spent the first two and a half decades of his life preparing to eventually become the Warden of the North and Lord of Winterfell. He's became quite proficient in most of those areas, taking well especially to those skills that gave him an outlet for his anger- swordsmanship in particular. Though not a master at much at all, he's a well-rounded man, capable of acting with competency in almost any situation, bar those where delicate diplomacy is required.

Immediate Family

Family Tree

Personal Relations

Lyonel Baratheon

Lyonel Baratheon is one of the best men Theon has ever had the pleasure of knowing. The two grew up together due to Lyonel warding in Winterfell under Theon's father, Jon, and they've continued to maintain a strong kinship over the decades. It was this bond that keeps their Houses so close, echoing the relationship of their old patriarchs, Robert and Eddard. There's no one else Theon trusts as much, and he's more than willing to give his life for his friend's just cause.

Storyline Premise

House Stark has seen many wrongs done to it in recent history, from the infamous slaughter at the Red Wedding to the execution of Eddard Stark, and even Daenerys's unwillingness to help them in their time of need. Theon sees these injustices as failures on his family's part- he believes it is his duty to see these debts paid in blood. The North might remember, but it does not forgive.

Arwyn Redstark

Identity

Arwyn Redstark

Age

26

Role

Exiled Heir of House Redstark

Characterization

Arwyn Redstark is a flippant, penniless drunkard with a penchant for violence and whoring. She puts on a veneer of whimsical rebelliousness and uncaring to hide her bitterness and malcontent at the hand the Seven have dealt her.

She hadn't always been this way, however. Once upon a time Arwyn was a lady-in-waiting, meant to marry the handsome son of a prominent lord when she came of age. Her father, Lord Hother, made it no secret that he was trying to remove her from the line of succession so that her younger brother, Duncan, could inherent, the new inheritance laws be damned. It angered her to be deprived of her birthright, of course, but she didn't have the power or will to oppose her father. Not openly, at least.

Her turned her toward the drink, and the drink emboldened her to make advances on household servants- male and female alike. Arwyn was cunning enough to keep such activities under wraps, for awhile, but secrets rarely remain buried for long. Hother discovered what was going on and, horrified, was forced to break off the betrothal and ordered his daughter sent to the Silent Sisters to save his house's honor. Arwyn chose to flee rather than be made a prisoner of the Faith.

The last decade of her life has been spent in exile, travelling across the Seven Kingdoms in search of purpose and safety. She spent much of those early years in a troupe of mummers, first as a stage hand and eventually as an actress herself. It was a difficult life, especially compared to the one of luxury she'd grown up in- but she learned the value of lying and sleight of hand, and the master mummer taught her how to protect herself.

That same troupe brought her to Sunspear, where the seeds of her destiny could finally took root. It was there that Princess Ashara Martell took notice of Arwyn, and the two quickly hit it off. It didn't take long- or much wine- for Arwyn to reveal the sad truth of how she came to be in Sunspear, and how the position that was hers by right by stolen away from her. Taken by the story, Ashara welcomed Arwyn into her court as a guest until the day would come that Lady Redstark could take back what belonged to her.

Attributes & Talents

Professional Liar

A mummer is little more than a paid liar, and after ten years in the trade, Arwyn's gotten quite adept at it. She's able to slip in and out of character as easily as someone else might change their shirt, allowing her to adapt to different situations and people to maximize her personal benefit. It's gotten so easy for her, in fact, that at times she finds herself altering her personality or beliefs almost subconsciously.

Charmer

Her early life as a lady-in-waiting equipped Redstark with the skills necessary to move through a lordling's court with elegance and grace. She's well-versed in the art of manners and diplomacy, able to seamlessly integrate herself into the upper echelons of Westerosi society.

Water Dancing

Though she'll never compare to a Braavosi swordsman, the master mummer Arwyn learned under was at least familiar with the style. She's skilled enough to defend herself in a street fight if she's run out of other options, but she won't be dueling the Queensguard or unseating a full-fledged knight anytime soon.

Immediate Family

Family Tree

Personal Relations

TBD

Storyline Premise

Forced from her home with her birthright stolen from her, Arwyn Redstark has spent the last ten years of her life struggling to survive. She has suffered at the hands of her family's hyper-traditional beliefs, and Daenerys's laws have done little to change that. Much of her new life has been spent wallowing in self-pity, but her arrival in Dorne has the potential to change that: she might finally have the opportunity to take back what is rightfully hers.

Jeyne Tyrell

Identity

Jeyne Tyrell

Age

22

Role

Wife of Amory Tyrell
Secret Informant for House Stark

Characterization

TBD

Attributes & Talents

TBD

Immediate Family

Family Tree

Personal Relations

TBD

Storyline Premise

TBD

Willam Stark

Identity

Willam "Great Wolf" Stark

Age

50

Role

Veteran warrior of Winterfell
Retainer to Lyonel Baratheon

Characterization

Willam Stark, sometimes known as the Great Wolf, is renowned as the greatest living warrior in the North. He spent his youth gallivanting from Winterfell to Last Hearth to White Harbor, fighting in melees, dueling everyone that would dare cross swords with him and gaining a reputation for his skill and braggadocios nature. There came a time when none could match him, and when none would ever risk a fight with the Great Wolf. Legend tells that he had cut through three men at once during the Redbeard Revolt of 354 AC.

Yet those days are long behind him. Some incident he doesn't speak of in 365 gave Will a new scar aside his eye and a new perspective on life. He was growing old, and he could feel his body weakening from constant wear and tear. Desperate to prove himself still skillful and growing restless in the North, he set out south toward a tournament of some renown he'd heard rumor of. Willam had proven himself a force to be reckoned with in his home region, yet never truly tested his sword against other well-regarded fighters. He'd won the day there as well, but the victory had been harder fought than any melee he'd previous dominated in. Thus began his career as a tourney fighter and wandering sword.

During those days he stayed in inns and guest rooms across Westeros, but he made his true home in Storm's End with Lyonel Baratheon, the boy that had warded under his older brother, Jon. The two had gotten on well together while Lyonel stayed in Winterfell- even after Lord Baratheon return home he still visited surprisingly often, giving the two men a close enough prior relationship that Lyonel had little problem allowing Willam to stay under his roof.

It was in 369 AC that Willam, resting in Storm's End after a near defeat at a tourney in Oldtown, that word of Aegon Velaryon's failed kidnapping attempt on Queen Daenerys and his subsequent defeat at the hands of the Ironborn reached him. Stark took up arms and joined Lyonel in traveling to the Stepstones, where they were subsequently bogged down in a several months-long rebellion. He proved his mettle there on the battlefields of Bloodstone and Estermont, and his kinship with Lyonel was made stronger than Valyrian Steel.

Will has spent the last ten years acting as a retainer for Lord Baratheon in King's Landing, only ever leaving to follow the tourney circuit with Lyonel's sons Axel and Brus, both of whom he's formed a close kinship with.

Said to be a man of good humor and character, Stark is well-respected by peers and rivals alike- both for his honorable nature and masterful skill at arms. Inwardly, however, he continues to hold an intense insecurity in regards to his aging body and his...personal curse that keeps him from ever siring children, something he's desired since he was little more than a boy.

Attributes & Talents

Skilled Warrior

The Great Wolf has earned a reputation for his power and skill at arms. Given his great height and strength he can wield a greatsword as easily and fluidly as most men do an arming sword, and his purposed feats of strength border on the mythical and impossible. In his golden years he was confined solely to fighting in Northern melees, but it has been speculated that, had he fought against the premier warriors of that time, Willam Stark could have beaten any one of them.

Time, however, is a soldier's greatest enemy; it has stolen the stamina from his lungs and slowed his movements, as if he'd been dunked in a mud pit prior to every fight. Younger men can outlast him and, if they're quite quick, outdo his reaction time, making Will less formidable than he used to be. Still, only a fool would ever fight him head-on, for even time could not take away the wolf's great might.

Reliable Tactician

Though he may not look it, Willam possesses a keen mind for tactics and battlefield strategy. He gained valuable combat and leadership experience during the Redbeard Revolt and the Stepstones Rebellion, and he spent no small amount of time studying historical battles in the library of his cousin, Grand Maester Torrhen. Company level tactics are where his specialty lies but even on larger battlefields Willam is a valuable adviser and ally for anyone looking to defeat their enemies on the field with resounding success.

Immediate Family

Family Tree

Personal Relations

TBD

Storyline Premise

Willam Stark is a man running out of time. He has spent much of his life chasing after glory and the satisfaction of victory, yet in his old age every fight has grown all the harder and the high he once felt in triumph has grown numb, and continues to grow number still. He curses the gods for denying him the ability to raise sons or daughters of his own, believing himself unable to have the family he's wanted since he was a boy. The only thing he believes he has left are his niece and nephew, and the Baratheons that so graciously took him in- if he can have no joy of his own, the best he can do is ensure what family he has is well taken care of.

Blood Reigns Over Westeros: A Song of Ice & Fire Story (Accepting Player Proposals)

Don't tell me what to do @Inkarnate